Now

I currently reside in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where I’ve been since 1997. I very much doubt that I will stay here forever, as winter is far too cold for my own liking, and developing meaningful friendships in a highly individualistic society has proven challenging. But I still have some really close friends that I value greatly.

Having grown up in Japan, I can’t help but notice the differences between where I used to live and where I am now. But I look back and can appreciate the contrast.

I’m still single at 33, and I’m looking to fix that. I’m looking for a like-minded woman that shares my values and supports my ambitions.

In general, I feel good. I’m spending more and more of my time working on projects I’m passionate about, and have achieved a degree of freedom as a full-time freelancer.

Work

I am currently a:

Guitar teacher. This is something I started doing fresh out of college, and though I’ve taken a few breaks here and there, I’ve been teaching for over a decade now.

Musician. I am working with Long Jon Lev as well as Adrenalize, and I’ve been releasing new singles on a monthly basis.

Ghost blog writer. I write content for a variety of different companies in different industries. Fun and fulfilling work, but also time-consuming.

Content manager. I handle podcast pre-interviews, podcast show notes, blog posts, guest posting campaigns, customer testimonials, as well as email opt-in offers for an undisclosed company. I also manage The Question community website.

Theatre technician. I am casually employed at Mount Royal University.

Investor. I invested in a business in 2011, but unfortunately that did not pan out. Once I have the capital, I will begin investing in new ventures again.

Freelancer. I take on the occasional website, graphic, copywriting or email campaign project.

Projects

New singles. I’ve started releasing new music on a monthly basis. You can follow along here.

A new book. Still very much in its formative stages, but I have a solid plan for its completion in 2016.

Goals

Financial freedom. The ability to work on whatever I want to, whenever I want to, and to have location independence.

Impact. I want to see the music industry change in several ways. Education programs need to incorporate more curriculums on social media, marketing, and entrepreneurship (make me redundant). Monetization also needs to change. The streaming model is unprofitable for artists. I see enormous potential in the affiliate model. Contracts and agreements need to be honored. I still hear many horror stories of bands that play at a bar and don’t get compensated for their time (in some cases, bar owners attempt to charge them!). I have also experienced this firsthand. We need better governing entities, or more consistent and repeatable live performance contracts.

Marriage. I don’t know whether you can call it a goal or not, but I am looking for a woman to share my life with.